Archive for October, 2009

Armorama.com the coolest website dedicated to armor, military and diorama scale modeling building on the internet. I had to wait to get advertising space on their website, but now I am in. I can now market to scale model builders that have a passion for tanks, armor and diorama’s as their hobby. I am one of these guys having built many armor kits over my lifetime. I have always wanted to display my love for WW2 armor with t shirts and couldn’t find anything that I really liked, so I started making them myself and Achtung T Shirt was born. Please go to Armorama.com and check it out.

Bill

ACHTUNG T SHIRT'S ADVERTISEMENT ON ARMORAMA.COM

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The M4A1 assault rifle is the subject of Achtung T Shirt’s newest t shirt design. I figured that we have the “AK47 PREFERRED WEAPON OF YOUR ENEMY” tee, that is very popular, and we should have the preferred weapon of the United States military the M4A1 as a design. The design is much the same as the AK47 design, but the fonts are different. For now we just offer it in black, but will soon add other color t shirts as we do with our German Panzer Tanks, German Luftwaffe and Pro Gun T Shirt categories in our stores. We will be doing a version of the “RATED E FOR EVERYONE” with the M4A1 and maybe do a “StG44 PREFERRED WEAPON OF THE WEHRMACHT”.

M4A1 Military M16 Ar15 Ak-47 Funny Guns and Firearms

How The AK47 Is The Most Used Assault Rifle In The World
The AK 47 assault rifle is available in large quantities due to the Soviet Union policy of mass production of arms during the Cold War period from 1946 to 1989. The Russians had wanted to rule the world through military might and power to induce communist tyranny on the countries and peoples that opposed opposed communist. To do this they had to build up their forces to a point of overwhelming strength, not only in nuclear weapons, but also in warships, airplanes, tanks and ground troops. The main and most significant weapon for the individual of the ground forces would of course be the Russian AK47 assault rifle. It was estimated at the peak of the Cold War build up that the Soviet strength remained between 2.8 million to 5.3 million men and of course each one would have to have an AK47 available to them. So many are still in service today due to the incredible simplicity, effectiveness and ruggedness of the weapon.
• The low production and materials costs of the AK47 assault weapon meant that the Soviet Union could produce and supply friendly states instead of sending surplus munitions. The result of this is that the Cold War saw the mass exportation, often times free of charge, of AK-47’s by the Russian government and Communist China to pro-communist countries and armies such as the Nicaraguan Sandinista’s and the Vietcong. The AK 47 design was spread to over 55 national armies and dozens of para-military groups.
• The Chinese government started its own mass production of the AK-47 assault rifle and as a result also lowered the costs substantially that many people from around the world started buying the cheaper Chinese versions. The World Bank estimates that out of the 500 million total firearms available worldwide, 100 million are of the Kalashnikov family, and 75 million of which are AK-47s.

ak-47 Preferred Russian Assault Weapon Rifle Guns and Firearms

• We have mentioned the incredible simplicity, effectiveness and ruggedness of the AK47 assault rifle in our first point, so let us delve into this in further detail. The AK-47 is an excellent assault rifle in terms of the ease and simplicity of use. It is amazing how quickly one can learn to use it as an deadly weapon, even from the simple villager all the way up to the most seasoned veteran soldier. The maintenance that is required is rudimentary and not as time intensive as the AK47’s counterparts. It has a proven service record in all types of combat theaters of operation, from the deserts of the Middle East to the mountains of Afghanistan (used by both Soviet Union soldiers and Afghan rebels) to the jungles of Vietnam and the arctic cold of Siberia.
• Many gangsters started to adopt the AK-47 assault weapon as their weapon of choice… such as in Mexico. The Russian AK47 assault weapon is known as “Cuerno de Chivo” (literally “goat’s horn) and is often associated with drug cartels and the local mafia. The AK 47 has also become an icon to many people of the world. It is included in the flag of Mozambique and its coat of arms, which acknowledges that the country’s leaders gained power in by using the AK47 with such effectiveness.

It is easy to see why the AK47 has become the most used assault weapon in the world by the overwhelming production, distribution, low cost, availability and overall effectiveness in many different countries.

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Achtung T Shirt has another new tee to be had. This time instead of “Celebrate Diversity” in guns or in panzer tanks…it’s in Dungeons and Dragons, World of Warcraft and fantasy role playing games. This new tee that I designed is based on the other “Celebrate Diversity” tee’s that we offer, but it shows a variety of characters from the RPG world’s in our favorite online RPG or MMO. The typical Mage, Hunter, Warrior, Troll, Paladin, Rogue, Priest, Druid, Dwarf Fighter, Elf Archer, etc. This t shirt should fill the void for all my RPG/MMO gaming t shirt customers that felt left out in the “celebration”. I have been playing D&D since the early 80’s and started into the MMORPG’s back in 1999 when Everquest first came out. My older son was 5 years old and he also started many characters. We eventually moved on to World of Warcraft around 2004 and we have been leveling and raiding ever since. I love getting to Northrend, I think this is the best continent by far. I got spoiled recently when I started and leveled a Death Knight then I started a Mage…which is taking forever to level. So anyway here is a pic of our new t shirt design:

Celebrate Diversity Dungeons and Dragons RPG MMORPG Black Tee shirt

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We have another version of the “Achtung Tiger” t shirt that we have just offered on our website Achtung T Shirt….also available from our ebay store. This t shirt shows the Tiger 1 coming out of the t shirt and has more dramatic fonts saying “Achtung Tiger!” The Tiger tank is by far the most popular WW2 German Panzer that was produced. I personally love this tee for the fact that it is more of an action tee with the fonts being more military and it reminds me of the title fonts from the “Rat Patrol” tv show. The design itself as a whole is very big and dominates the t shirt…this tee will definitely get noticed!

Achtung Tiger WW2 German Panzer Tank

As always here’s some pics:

More info on the Tiger 1:
More information on the Tiger 1:

The German heavy panzer used in WW2 was the PzKpfw VI. The first official German designation was Panzerkampfwagen VI Ausfhrung H but the panzer was re-designated as Panzerkampfwagen VI Ausf. E in March 1943. The tank also had the ordnance inventory designation SdKfz 181.

Schwere Panzer Abteilung 501 Tiger Tank Division WW2 German Tee

The Panzerkampfwagen VI was in use from late 1942 until the German collapse in 1945. It was given its “Tiger” nickname by Ferdinand Porsche (the Roman numeral was added after the Tiger II was manufactured). The design served as the basis for other armored vehicles, the Sturmtiger heavy self-propelled gun and the Bergetiger armored recovery vehicle. Tigers were capable of killing the American M4 Sherman tank or British Churchill tank IV at ranges exceeding 2,000 m. In contrast, the Soviet T-34 utilizing with the 76.2 mm gun could not penetrate the Panzerkampfwagen VI frontally at any range, but could attain a side penetration at just about 500 m firing the BR-350P APCR ammunition. The T34-85 tank 85 mm gun could penetrate the Tiger from the side at about range 1,000 m.

Achtung Tiger WW2 German Panzer Tank

Panzer VI Tiger Tank Ww2 German Army Battle of Kursk

The IS-2’s 122 mm gun could destroy the PzKpfw VI at ranges beyond 1,000 m. From a 30 degree angle of attack the M4 Sherman tank’s 75 mm gun could not penetrate the Tiger tank frontally at any range, and needed to be within 100 m to achieve a side penetration against the 80mm upper hull superstructure. The British 17-pounder as used on the Sherman Firefly, firing its normal APCBC ammunition, could penetrate frontally out to over 1,000 m. The US 76 mm gun, if firing the APCBC M62 ammunition, could penetrate the Tiger frontally out to just over 500 m, and could be at ranges in excess of 1,000 m to achieve penetration against the upper hull superstructure. Using HVAP

Schwere Panzer Abteilung 501 Tiger Tank Division WW2 German Tee

ammunition, which was in constant sparse supply and primarily issued to tank destroyers, frontal penetrations were possible out to just over 1,500 m. It is worth mentioning that many of the penetration capabilities at longer ranges had little relevance compared to combat engagements of the actual war, especially that which was fought in Western Europe, where battles seldom happened outside of one kilometer due to scattering and chance for human mistake, which is amplified greatly as range increases regardless of the ability of any cannon. For example, while a 17pdr could penetrate the front armor of a Tiger tank at one kilometer in tests, during actual combat, a 17pdr gunner would probably never find himself in a position to actually attempt such a feat.

Achtung Tiger Blacl

As range gets smaller in combat, all guns can penetrate additional armor (with the exception of HEAT ammunition, which was rare in World War 2). The great penetrating power of the Tiger tank’s 88mm gun meant that it could destroy many of its opponents at ranges at which they could not respond. In open terrain, this was a major tactical advantage. Opposing tanks were often forced to make a flanking attack in order to knock out a Tiger.

11th Panzer Ghost Division Unit Symbol T Shirt

The Tiger 1 was first used in action in September 1942 near Leningrad. Under pressure from Hitler, the panzer was put into action months earlier than planned and many early models proved to be mechanically fragile. In its first action on 23 September 1942, many of the first Tiger tanks broke down. Others were taken out by dug-in Red Army anti-tank guns. One panzer was captured largely intact, which gave the Red Army a chance to study the tank and prepare a response.

Jadgtiger Hunting Tiger Tank Panzer Divsions Tee

In the Tiger tank’s beginning actions in North Africa, the panzer was able to master Allied tanks in the open terrain. Notwithstanding, mechanical failures meant that there were rarely more than a few in action. In a replay of the Leningrad experience, at least one Tiger tank was knocked out by towed British six-pounder antitank guns.

Grossdeutschland Division Unit Symbol Tee

The panzer’s extreme weight limited the bridges it could cross and made drive-throughs of buildings, which may have had basements, hazardous. Another weakness was the slow traverse of the hydraulically-operated turret. The turret could as well be passed over manually, but this choice was seldom used.

Early Tiger tanks had a top speed of about 45 km/h over optimal terrain. This was not recommended for normal operation, and was discouraged in training. Crews were told to not exceed 2600RPM due to reliability problems of the early Maybach engines at their maximum 3000RPM output. To combat this, the Tiger’s top speed was reduced to about 38km/h through the installation of an engine governor, capping the RPM of the Maybach HL 230 to 2600rpm (HL 210s were used on early models). Despite being slower than medium tanks of the time, which averaged a top speed of about 45 km/h, the Tiger still had a very respectable speed for a tank of its size and weight, being nearly twice as heavy as a Sherman tank or Russian T-34 tank. The Tiger tank had reliability problems throughout its service life; Tiger tank units frequently entered combat understrength due to breakdowns. It was rare for any Tiger tank unit to complete a road march without losing vehicles due to breakdown. The tank also had poor radius of action (distance a combat vehicle can travel and return, in normal battle conditions, without refueling). Due to its very wide tracks, the Tiger had a lower ground pressure bearing than many smaller tanks, the most notable exception being the Russian T-34 tank.

T34 World War ii Russian Red Army Tank

The Tiger tank’s armor and firepower, however, were feared by all its opponents. In tactical defense, its bad mobility was less of an issue. Whereas Panthers were the more serious threat to Allied tanks, Tigers had a bigger psychological effect on opposing crews, causing a “Tiger phobia”. Allied tankers would sometimes evade rather than confront a Tiger, even a tank that only looked like one, such as the Panzer IV with turret skirts applied. In the Normandy campaign, it could take four to five Shermans to knock out a single Tiger tank by maneuvering to its weaker flank or rear armour; the Russian T-34s fared similarly against the German panzers, as had the German Panzer III earlier against the Red Army heavy tanks. An accepted Allied tactic was to engage the Tiger tank en masse, one attracting the attention of the Tiger crew while the others attacked the sides or rear of the vehicle. Since the ammunition and fuel were stored in the sponsons, a side penetration often resulted in a kill. This was a risky tactic, and often resulted in the loss of several Allied vehicles. It took a great deal of tactical skill to eliminate a Panzerkampfwagen VI.

Panzerkampfwagen VI tanks were usually employed in separate heavy panzer battalions (schwere-Panzer-Abteilung) under army command. These battalions would be deployed to critical sectors, either for breakthrough operations or, more typically, counterattacks. A few favored divisions, such as the Grossdeutschland or some of the low-numbered Waffen-SS divisions had a small amount of Tiger tanks. The Tiger tank was originally designed to be offensive breakthrough weapon but by the time they came into action, the military situation had changed dramatically, and their main use was on the defensive as mobile artillery. Unfortunately this also meant rushing the Tigers constantly from location to location causing excessive mechanical breakdowns. As a result there are almost no instances where a Tiger Battalion went into combat at anything close to full strength. Furthermore, against the Soviet and Western Allied production numbers, even a 10:1 kill ratio would not have been sufficient for the Tiger tanks. Some Tiger tank units did exceed the 10:1 kill ratio, including 13. Kompanie/Panzer-Regiment Grossdeutschland (16.67:1), schwere SS-Panzer-Abteilung 103 (12.82:1) and schwere Panzer-Abteilung 502 (13.08to1). These numbers must be set against the opportunity cost of building the expensive Tiger tank. Every Tiger tank built cost as much as four Sturmgeschutz III assault guns.

Tiger Vs T-34 Panzer tanks Ww2 Russian Red army Battle of Kursk

On 7 July 1943, a single Tiger tank commanded by SS-Oberscharfuhrer Franz Staudegger from the 2nd Platoon of 13th Panzer Company of 1st SS Division Leibstandarte SS Adolf Hitler battled a group of about 50 Soviet T-34 tanks around Psyolknee (the southern sector of the German salient in the Battle of Kursk). Staudegger used all his ammunition in destroying 22 Soviet tanks, while the rest retreated. For this, Staudegger was awarded the Knight’s Cross.

On 8 August 1944, a lone Tiger commanded by SS-Unterscharfuhrer Willi Fey from the 1st Company of sSSPzAbt 102, engaged a British tank column, knocking out some 14 out of 15 Sherman tanks, followed by one more later in the day using his final two rounds of ammunition. sSSPzAbt 102 lost all of its Tiger tanks during fighting in Normandy, but reported 227 Allied tanks killed in six weeks.

The Tiger tank is particularly affiliated with SS Haupsturmfurher Michael Wittmann of schwere SS-Panzerabteilung 101. battled his way by, commanding assorted vehicles and then finally a Tiger I. In the Battle of Villers-Bocage, he destroyed over two dozen Allied vehicles including several tanks; and single-handedly defied the advance of the entire 7th Armored Division until his panzer was destroyed and deserted.

Stalingrad ww2 russian tank panzer 4 tank t shirt

More than 10 Tiger tank commanders had over 100 vehicle kills on their account, including: Kurt Knispel with 168 destroyed, Otto Carius with 150+ kills, Johannes Boumllter with 139+ kills, and Michael Wittmann with 138 kills.